The Arms of Egypt Movement (Arabic: حركة سواعد مِصر Ḥarakat Sāwa'd Miṣr), commonly known as the Hasm Movement (Arabic: حسم), is an Islamist militant group operating in Egypt.[2]
Hasm Movement | |
---|---|
حسم | |
![]() Logo of the Hasm Movement[1] | |
Dates of operation | 2016 – present |
Active regions | Egypt |
Ideology | Islamism Egyptian nationalism |
Opponents | ![]() |
Battles and wars | Insurgency in Egypt (2013–present) |
The group despite having little uptime, has shown to have a very advanced organization and deployment which has led the security forces to link them with the Muslim Brotherhood.[3]
History
editArmed campaign
edit2016
editOn 16 July 2016 militants opened fire on a police vehicle in Tamiyyah, Faiyum, killing one officer and two were wounded in the attack.[4][5] On 5 August, the Hasm Movement claimed responsibility for an assassination attempt on the former Grand Mufti of Egypt Ali Gomaa.[6]
On September 4 conscripst of the Central Security Forces were wounded after tried to defuse an improvised device in the city of Damietta. The Hasm Movement claimed this attack.[7][8] Four days later, militants shot dead a police officer, in Sixth of October city, Giza.[9][10] Weeks later (29 September), the Hasm movement attempted to kill Zakaria Abdel Aziz, a senior assistant to Egypt's top prosecutor, as he was returning home from his office in eastern Cairo. The bomb failed to kill or hurt Aziz and his entourage, though one passerby was injured and taken to hospital.[11][12]
Days later, militants attacked a police officer near his house in Mahmoudiyah, Beheira, killing the officer.[13] On 4 November 2016, the Hasm movement claimed responsibility for an assassination attempt on local judge Ahmed Aboul Fotouh in Nasr City. Judge Fotouh was one of three judges who sentenced former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi to twenty years in prison in 2015.[14][15]
On 9 December 2016, the Hasm Movement claimed responsibility for an attack on a checkpoint on a main road near the Giza pyramid complex on the outskirts of Cairo, which killed six police officers.[16][17]
2017
editMilitants opened fire an Egyptian National Police (ENP) vehicle in Ibsheway, Faiyum, leaving one officer killed and other wounded.[18][19]
On March 27, 2017, assailants shot and killed a police officer in the village of Basarta, Damietta. Weeks later, security officers shot death the possible attacker responsible for the murder, in the operation, two officers were wounded.[20][21] During the next monts the movement continued with his armed activity [22]
On May 1, militants attacked a convoy of ENP agents killing three officers and wounded other five, this attack were in Nasr City, Cairo.[23][24] On January 18, an explosive device blasts and opened fire on a police vehicle in Maadi neighborhood, Cairo. The attack left and the group stated that the attack was carried out in retaliation for the Egyptian government transferring ownership of two islands to Saudi Arabia.[25][26]
2019
editThe group was accused of being behind the 2019 Cairo explosion, which resulted in 20 deaths and 47 injured,[27] but the group had denied the allegations.[28]
On 11 April 2019, Egyptian government forces reportedly killed 6 members of the group in an armed confrontation, after discovering a plot to plant bombs in Giza, members of the group began shooting at police as they approached them for questioning resulting in a fire fight, after the fight several firearms and bomb making materials were discovered.[29]
Arrests
editSecurity forces arrested three people who were detained for possible involvement in the attack that occurred in December, that killed six officers.[30][31]
Designation as a terrorist group
edit- On 22 December 2017, the United Kingdom banned HASM as a 'proscribed terrorist organisation'.[32]
- On 31 January 2018, the United States designated HASM as a 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist' entity.[33] During may of 2017, US authorities warned their citizens about the risks of possible attacks against authorities, civilians and tourists[34]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "حركة سواعد مصر / حسم". Telegram. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- ^ "Egypt: Hasm militants kill dozens of police after botched raid". dw.com. 21 October 2017. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
- ^ "What Is the Hasm Movement?". Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Archived from the original on 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ "Egypt Media Roundup". Jaddaliyya. Archived from the original on 2023-02-21. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
- ^ "Anonymous gunmen kill police officer in Fayoum". Daily News Egypt. 17 July 2016. Archived from the original on 2023-02-21. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
- ^ Mostafa, Amr (16 August 2016). "Who's behind assassination attempt on former Egyptian mufti?". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
- ^ "Four policemen injured while defusing bomb in Damietta". Egypt Independent. 4 September 2016. Archived from the original on 2023-02-21. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
- ^ "3 police officers injured while dismantling bomb in Damietta". Daily News Egypt. 4 September 2016. Archived from the original on 2023-02-21. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
- ^ "Masked gunmen assassinate police officer in 6th October". Egypt Independent. 9 September 2016. Archived from the original on 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
- ^ "What Egypt's Assassination Attempts Say about its Islamist Insurgency". Atlantic Council. 3 October 2016. Archived from the original on 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
- ^ "Recently-emerged militant group claims attack on Egyptian prosecutor". Al Arabiya English. Al Arabiya Network. 30 September 2016. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- ^ "Senior Egyptian prosecutor survives car bomb assassination attempt". Reuters. 29 September 2016. Archived from the original on 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
- ^ "Militant group claims assassination of Egyptian policeman". Reuters. 8 October 2016. Archived from the original on 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
- ^ el Sherif, Mohamed; Aboulenein, Ahmed (4 November 2016). Liffey, Kevin (ed.). "Egyptian judge who tried Mursi survives assassination attempt". Reuters. The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
- ^ "Judge survives car bomb in Cairo". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
- ^ Dearden, Lizzie (9 December 2016). "Bombing kills six near pyramids in Cairo". Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-09. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
- ^ "Bomb in Egypt capital kills six". RFI. 9 December 2016. Archived from the original on 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
- ^ "Motorcycle gunmen kill Egypt policeman: security sources". The Peninsula Qatar. 4 January 2017. Archived from the original on 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
- ^ "GTD ID:201701030038". Global Terrorism Database. Archived from the original on 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
- ^ "Police kill believed militant in Damietta town where residents accuse police of illegal searches". Madamasr. Archived from the original on 2020-05-21. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
- ^ "Egyptian security agencies abort series of terrorists attacks". Egypt Today. 18 April 2017. Archived from the original on 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
- ^ "GTD ID:201704010006". Global Terrorism Database. Archived from the original on 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ "Gunmen kill Cairo police in brazen drive-by". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ "Drive-by attack kills 3 police personnel in Eastern Cairo". Daily News Egypt. 2 May 2017. Archived from the original on 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ "Egyptian police officer killed by roadside bomb in Cairo". Emirates News Agency. 18 June 2017. Archived from the original on 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ "Hasm claims responsibility for Sunday Cairo attack". Daily News Egypt. 19 June 2017. Archived from the original on 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ Awadalla, Nadine; Eltahir, Nafisa (5 August 2019). MacSwan, Angus (ed.). "Car involved in Cairo blast contained explosives: interior ministry". Reuters. The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- ^ Raghavan, Sudarsan (5 August 2019). Mahfouz, Heba Farouk (ed.). "Explosives-packed car kills 20, injures dozens in Cairo collision". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- ^ "Security forces kill 6 terrorist affiliated with Hasm". Egypt Today. 12 April 2019. Archived from the original on 13 June 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- ^ "Egypt arrests suspected Cairo checkpoint attackers". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
- ^ "Egypt arrests suspected Cairo checkpoint attackers". Yahoo. Archived from the original on 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
- ^ AP (22 December 2017). "UK designates 'Hasm', 'Liwaa el-Thawra' militant groups in Egypt as 'terrorist'". Al Arabiya English. Al Arabiya. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- ^ "State Department Terrorist Designations of Ismail Haniyeh, Harakat al-Sabireen, Liwa al-Thawra, and Harakat Sawa'd Misr (HASM)". Bureau of Public Affairs. U.S. State Department. 31 January 2018. Archived from the original on 4 November 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- ^ "US Embassy warns of possible Egypt attack by Hassm militants". Madamasr. Archived from the original on 2021-03-03. Retrieved 2023-02-22.